5. Producción ganadera
5.2. Producción de miel de abeja
In full immersion programmes children start learning a foreign language before starting school. In these cases the input of the new language is 100%. Given the age of the children it is only natural to use games, songs and rhymes as a way of teaching new language and other skills.
CLIL – content and language integrated learning – uses songs, rhymes and games in teaching both foreign languages and other school subjects such as music, mathematics or physical education taught in the foreign language. Other possibilities are limited only by the teacher’s imagination.
Traditional songs, rhymes, games and poems are used in language nest projects, which aim at reviving small, endangered minority languages. For example, some communities in Lapland have started projects to revitalize local and endangered varieties of the Sami language and thus encourage children and parents to learn and use (Pasanen, 2003, 29-30) the traditional language of their community and area.
In Inari the municipality has initiated language nest activity in a day care centre which aims at learning and revitalizing Inari Sami, a minority language, to children under school age. The method resembles that of immersion programmes but the ideology is different – the aim is to keep the endangered languages alive and the language that children are learning, is related to the environment and culture of their family, traditions and population group. Similar projects have been set up in Russian Karelia to revitalize some varieties of Karelian. In both cases the transmission of the traditional language has been disturbed and there is
a danger of a linguistic genocide (Pasanen, 2003, 4-5; Skutnabb- Kangas, 2000). In these projects songs and rhymes play an important role in transmitting the oral traditions and cultural heritage of the local language.
These projects are examples of the ways songs, rhymes and games can be used in supporting and motivating foreign language learning. EFL books used in Finland and elsewhere often have a section for songs and rhymes or they may integrated into the chapters or lessons. However, the utilization of this material is left up to the teacher to choose and in my experience many teachers do not use to its full extent, perhaps because they don’t see its value.
4. Conclusions
Songs, rhymes, poems, and plays can be used in many ways in early foreign language learning. Here are some mentioned in the article and teachers can use their imagination for more.
- to motivate the pupils to learn foreign languages
- to encourage active use of the languages and develop productive skills
- to improve pronunciation, speech rhythm and intonation - to improve concentration
- to improve social skills, increasing class cohesion and understanding of rules
- to develop co-operation skills - to transmit culture and traditions
- to develop intercultural skills and understanding - to encourage performing skills
- to use as teaching material in CLIL - to bring joy to the FL classroom
- and last but not least to involve student teachers in all these activities.
It is particularly important to involve student teachers in all these activities. At a teacher training school they have the opportunity to experiment with different ideas and methods, which they can then as young teachers bring to their schools. If they learn to use songs and rhymes in their teaching practice then it is more likely that they will do so in their subsequent work and spread the idea to other teachers.
I would like to finish with a rhyme which combines words and movements and which young foreign language learners have liked a lot.
An elephant goes like this and that,
Pat knees
He’s terribly big,
Hands high.
And he’s terribly fat;
Hands wide.
He has no fingers,
Wriggle fingers.
And he has not toes,
Touch toes.
But goodness gracious, What a long nose
Curl hand away from nose.
References
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The Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), 2001. Cambridge University Press. Available at http://www.coe.int/T/DG4/Linguistic/CADRE_EN.asp
Conn Beall, P. & Hagen Nipp S., 1977.Wee Sing. Children's Songs and Fingerplays. Los Angeles: Price Stern Sloan. Incl. audiocassettes.
Graham, C., 1978. Jazz Chants. Oxford University Press, Am.
Joensuun normaalikoulun opetussuunnitelma, 2005. (Joensuu University Teacher Training School. Curriculum) Available at: http://jnor.joensuu.fi/index.php?2.
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National Board of Education. Vammala: Vammalan kirjapaino. Referred to NCCBE in the text.
Opie, I. &P., 1988. The Singing Game. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Pasanen, A., 2003. Kielipesä ja revitalisaatio. Karjalaisten ja inarinsaamelaisten kielipesätoiminta. Pro gradu –tutkielma. Itämerensuomalaiset kielet. Suomalais-ugrilainen laitos. Helsingin yliopisto. Available at http://www.helsinki.fi/hum/sugl/oppimat/AnnikaPasanen_gradu.
Sokka-Meaney, E. L., 1995. Englantia ensimmäiseltä luokalta – kokemuksia varhennetun vieraan kielen opetuksesta Joensuun normaalikoulun ala-asteella. (English from the first class – experiences from early foreign language teaching at the primary level of Joensuu University Teacher Training School). Kielten väliset kontaktit. AFinLAn vuosikirja 1995 n:o 53. Eds. Pirkko Muikku-Werner & Kyösti Julkunen.
Strange, D., 1991. Chatterbox 1. Activity Book. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Strange, D., 1991. Chatterbox 1. Pupil’s Book. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Skutnabb-Kangas, T., 2000. Linguistic genocide in education — or worldwide diversity and human rights? Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Takala, S., 1994, Developing Language Teaching in Finland: Where does content-based language teaching fit? Räsänen, A. & Marsh, D., Content Instruction through a Foreign Language, Reports from the Continuing Education Centre, University of Jyväskylä, Finland, Research and Fieldwork No. 18.
This Little Puffin, 1991. Compiled by Elisabeth Matterson. Puffin Books. St. Ives: Clays Ltd
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Internet sources
DLTK, Dynamic Languages Toolkit, http://www.eclipse.org/dltk/ First Thanksgiving. Available at: http://www.dltk-
holidays.com/thanksgiving/first_thanksgiving.html Jazz Chants, self-made. Available at:
http://members.tripod.com/jrmeads_515/tips.htm. Over the river and through the woods. Available at: http://www.preschooleducation.com/sthanksgiving.shtml Teddy Bear, Teddy Bear. Available at:
http://literacyconnections.com/ASTeddyBear.html Thanksgiving:
http://www.preschooleducation.com/sthanksgiving.shtml http://members.tripod.com/jrmeads_515/tips.htm
Joensuun normaalikoulun opetussuunitelma. 2005. Vieraat kielet. http://jnor.joensuu.fi/index.php?978
Unprinted materials
Interviews of class 2A. Joensuu University Teacher Training School. February-April 2008.